Means for coiling inserts



Oct. 10,1944.

H. CAMINEZ MEANS FOR COILING INSERTS 4 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31', 1942 KN EN INVENToR. #A20/.0 CAM/N52 BY Maa;

ATTORNEY oct. 1o,- 1944. n H, GAMME; 2,360,047

- MEANS FOR COILIG INSERTS Filed Jan. 3.1. 1942 4 sheets-sheet 2 BY he@ Sim ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 H. cAMlNEz MEANS FOR COILING INSERTS Filed Jan. s1, 1942 INVENTOA ,4 TToR/vf: Y

BOLD C'M//VEZ Y /y sm oct. 1o, 1944. H. CAMINEZ 2,3605047 MEANS FOR COILING INSERTS Filed Jan. 51, 1942 4 sheets-sheet 4l ,Q29 230 fw F419 l? r 2f@ 2/9 f5 f/ 2/7 A TToR/VEY Paienfed on. 1o, 1944 MEANS Fon comme. INSERTS Harold Caminez, Williamsport, Pa., 4assignor to Aircraft Screw Products Company, Inc., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation o! New York Application January 31, 1942, Serial No. 429,023

14 Claims.

The present invention relates to a means for making wire coil inserts such as have been frequently suggested for use in screw connections vo1 a male-and a female member, wherein the coil wire is in engagement with the external and internal threadings of the respective members. 'I'he invention relates more particularly to such inserts coiled of a wire whose symmetrical crosssection is other than circular, as described for instance in my U. S. Patent No. 2,150,876.

Whereas ordinary coil springs in general require only a certain degree of homogeneousness and exactness of the dimensions of the wire material of which the coil is made, and also a certain degree of exactness as to .the external and internal dimensions of the finished coil, inserts of the type here under consideration must have, in addition to the features of a coil spring, an unusually high grade of exactness regarding the desired cross-section and pitch ofthe Wire in the finished article. The invention aims, therefore, to provide a means whereby a wire coil .canl be made so as to ilull the requirements of an insert for a screw connection. The means according to the invention comprises a machine for producing inserts exact to measure and with a tang which 'may be gripped by a tool when the coil is to be inserted in a threaded female niem-l ber.

The wire useful for an insert coil must be hard but ductile and of good resiliency. The material should be anti-corrosive and must have low friction qualities with respect to the materials of Vthe'emembers of the connection for which the insert is destined. In certain cases it must also be resistant to the attack by the products of combustion ingas engines. Materials su-ch as a hard bronze and stainless steel have been found particularly suited to the purpose. The wire cross-section of the insert may be round or square or it may be one of those which have a pair of side portions converging towards a line of symmetry, as for instance, a crosssection of diamond shape or of pear shape as the tapped hole so as to have adequate spring tension but must not be too large so as to .render insertion dimcult or even impossible. At least the ilront half of the ilrst convolution must be undersized to facilitate the insertion, and it is recommended to apply a notch close to the root of the tang where the latter may be broken off after the insertion.

In coiling wire of any cross-section, the originally more or less straight wire is bent into helical convolutions. The bending stresses to which it is subjected in that operation change the original cross-section if the coil is wound in the customary manner with the result that an originally round cross-section will no longer be circular in the finished coil, and that an originally square cross-section will no longer be rectangular owing to the compression oi.' the inner portions and to the tension of the outer portions. Furthermore, it must be taken into consideration that wire shipped as fusual, i. e., spooled on drums or reels of not very large diameter, is bent from the start and owing thereto has what is generally termed a cast, that means the' particles of the wire which should :be arranged, so to say, in straight lines parallel to the wire axis, actually form largepitched helices. In a round wire such cast is immaterial. However, in wires of other crosssections, particularly in diamond or pear-shaped wires, a cast would cause a tilt of the convolutions ofthe finished insertl and, therefore, render the wire unfit for the contemplated purpose. The

l method and means according to my invention are useful in producing inserts complying with the enumerated requirements and'in avoiding the drawbacks occurring in the conventional manner of coiling wire.

Since I have found that inserts of the lastmentioned cross-sections are among the most dimcult onesto produce, I shall describe the method and means according .to my invention mainly with reference toa pear-shaped wire whose cross-section can be approximately dened as a triangle with rounded or truncated top and with a base coinciding with the chord of a segment of a circle. However, I wish it to rbe understood that this method with or without slight variations or modifications is equally well applicable to wire of other cross-sections, as for instance, diamond-shaped or square wire, and that the scope of my invention shall not be limited but by the appended claims.

Further objects and details of my invention will be apparent from the description given hereinanother portion oi' the same machine, comprising' wire straightener and feeder mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the coiling device along line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section taken along line 8-6 of Fig. 5 and showing the rear of the coiling device.

Figs. 'I and 8 are a side elevation and a front i elevation respectively of thefront portion of the mandrel of the coiling device.

Fig. 9 is a section along line 1 8 of Fig. 3 and illustrating the cutter.

Fig. 10 is a section along line lll-I0 of Fig. 3 and illustrating the wire guide.

Fig. 11 is a section along line Ii-ll of Fig. 4 showing the feeder, and Fig. 11a is a side elevation of the latter.

Figs. 12 and 13 are a side elevation and top plan View respectively of an automatic machine embodying the same principles as the handoperated machine illustrated by Figs. 3 to 1l, and

Fig. 14 is a cam diagram referring to the machine of Figs. 12 and 13.

No matter whether the wire cross-section of the insert to be produced is such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or whether another cross-section, e. g., a diamond-shaped one, is desired, it is advisable to start from a circular cross-section wire. If the material is a. stainless steel containing, e. g., 18% chromium and 8% nickel, the wiremay be first annealed, pickled and then cleaned and provided with an oxide coating; the cleaning step of operation to take place alsoif the material is a suitable bronze. The clean wire is reduced in diameter by drawing it through a die preferably of one of the carbide materials, as for instance, a

die of the material which is on the market under the name of Carboloy." This cold working simultaneously smoothens the surface and increases the tensile strength, e. g., from 90,000 p. s. i. in the annealed wire to 150,000 p. s. i. in the wire of reduced diameter. Any flaws in the original wire will also be detected during this step of operation. The required size to which the wire is to be reduced can be experimentally determined. The wire is then provided with another oxide coating by heating.

The so-prepared round wire of stainless steel. or if the material is a bronze, the wirel cleaned and reduced to the required size and having the desired qualities is then shaped by drawing it through grooved rollers which are so adjustable that the wire thickness can be controlled. For measuring the thickness of a wire of other than circular or square cross-section I found a micrometer useful which has a lower and anl upper anvil, each grooved to match the desired shape of wire.

For the reasons hereinbefore given, the shape to which the wireis drawn by the last-mentioned insert, the angle of the converging sides of the cross-section of the wire prior to coiling must be made slightly narrower and the rounded portion slightly larger. Similarly, to obtain a diamondshaped wire in the insert, the outer angle must be made slightly narrower prior to coiling and the inner angle slightly wider. The difference required depends on various factors, particularly on the height of the wire cross-section and the diameter of the coil. l

Before the coiling, any cast of the wire occurring as hereinbefore explained owing' to the original winding of the wire on a drum or reel of relatively small diameter and owing to other causes for a lack of uniformity, must be removed or at least so far removed that the wire will be free from twist over an appreciable length. This can be accomplished by passing the wire through straightening rollers grooved according to its cross-section. The wire so treated may then be wound on drums or reels of relatively very large diameter to avoid strain on the wire, which is now ready to be worked in the desired insert I0 such as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. For this purpose the free end of the wire is gripped and held straight so as to form the tang il shown in Fig. 2; then by rotating the gripped end the wire is coiled, while it is guided interiorly and exteriorly, into the shape the insert is intended to take when in position between the thread grooves of a threaded female and.I a threaded male member. Approximately the nrst convolution i2 may be slightly narrower than the remainder of the convolutions of the insert. The guiding is required not only in order to obtain the desired inner and outer diameters and pitch, but also in order to prevent the wire from tilting; or in other words, to insure that the line of symmetry of any cross-'section of the wire coincides with a radius of the coil. lWhien a length of wire sufllcient for one insert has been coiled, the wire is cut on at I3 preferably at a slant with respect to the wire axis in order to produce a sharp edge which may engage the ma- 1 terial of the female member after the insertion.

If cutting of the wire takes place before the insert is ilnished, any remaining straight wire portion in front of the edge is also coiled in order to complete the product. When the torque applied to the tang in coiling the wire is released and the finished insert is also free in other respects, it will spring to an outer diameter larger than that it had during the ceiling. This larger diameter can be used as a measure in gauging the insert in respect to both .the .required dimensions and the required elastic properties of the material. This is unportant because the friction of the wire will be inadmissibly high if the diameter of the free coil is too large, and the desired wedging- `action rof the vwire between the convolution flanks of the tapped `thread of the female member will be too lowif .that diameter is undersized. Finally, the insert may be notched as at I4 near 'the root ofthe tang in order to facilitate the removal of the 4 latter after the insertion of the coil.

An example of a hand-operated machine for making inserts and according to my invention is shown in Figs. 3 to 11 of the drawings. This machine comprises wire guide i5, cutting mechanism I8 andcoiling mechanism I 1 (Fig. 3), and also wire straightener I8 and feeder I! (Fig. 4). The two last-mentioned mechanisms I8 land I9 may be omitted if care is taken that vthe wire 20, of which the inserts are to be made, is straight and free from cast and if it is intended to feed the wire by hand. However, the use of a mechanical feeder such as I9v is advisable in order to insure that'in starting the coiling of an insert the correct length of wire is advanced into Vthe coiling mechanism.' Thementioned mechanisms I to I9 may be mounted ona common frame 21| comprising astandard 22 andan upright mounting plate-23 as clearly'shown in Fig. 5. Standard 22 vand .plate -23 ncarry the bearings 24 and 25 respectively for the coiling mechanism and its drive. For thisrpurpose, standard 22 has a bore 26, andl a-bushing 21 is inserted into said bore and secured to the. standard by-means of bolts 28. The bushingis interiorly recessed near its ends so as to receive ball-bearings 29 and 3U whose inner races 3| Vand 32 aremoiinted on ,a shaft 33 andspaced from each other by asleeve 34,. A fiange 35 atl the one end of shaft 33 bears against the race 30, whereas the other end of the shaft is threaded, at 36 to receive thereon a nut Aspacing ring 38 bears-against the other race 3| land acrank 39 is keyed to the shaftat 40 and held in position by said nut 31. lShaft 33 is hollow for at least a length suflicientto receive and hold in a bore 4| a mandrel 42 axially movable 'thereinr and splined thereto by means of a key 43 engaging a groove 44. A ring 45 with set screw 46 and adapted to abut against flange` 35,:nay be so adjusted as to limit the length with which the mandrel 42 may be shifted into the interior of the shaft 33. Now, it will be clear that the mandrel 42 can be rotated by turning crank 39 and that it is free to vmove axially vwithin limits defined in the one direction by ring 45 during such rotation.v

yMeans are provided in order to shift the mandrel axially during its rotation according to the pitch of an insert to be coiled on the mandrel.

`For this purpose, its forward portion is threaded at 41 and the pitch and preferably also the shape of such insert. This threaded portion .is in enthe 'frame plate 23. Now Vit will be'clear that a helical space is free between the front portion of the mandrel and the die owing to the fact that both are threaded according to the pitch Furthermore, it will be .clear that the die 54 which is preferably hardened does not only serve to. guide the wireiin a sense to preventtilting of" the convolutions during the coiling, but that it .also calibratesthe wire, i. e., acts as a drawing tool to shape the cross-sections of the convolutions correctly particularly if the wire crosssection is originally slightly oversized. Care is taken that the wire to be coiled Vcan be supplied to such` helical space, close to the bushing 5I and in a` plane substantially at iight angles to the axis of the lmandrel. For this purpose, the die is recessed at 56 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. However, it will be noticed that the major portion of the periphery of a portion of the mandrel is encompassed by the die, so as to insure the above-mentioned action of the latter. l

In order to grip the end of a wire to be coiled, the front end of the mandrel isl slotted diametrically at 6|. As shown in Figs. '1 and 8 the slot 6I leads with its one end 62 into the groove of the first convolution 63 of the` mandrel threading, and this convolution is narrower than the remainder so as to produce the convolution l2 of the insert shown-in `Figs. l and'2. Furthermore, the end 62 is slightly flared so as to facilitate the entering of the wire in the radial direction of arrow a in Fig. il.A Owing to the slotting of the mandrel its end forms two projections 64 and'65. the drawing projection 64, is well rounded at 66 where the bend between the tang |I and the first convolution |2 is to be formed. Opposite the rounding at 66 theV other projection is slanted downat61 to the bottom of the slot for gagement with a stationary nut structure which now will be described. Upright frame plate 23 has a bore 48 co-axial with the bore 26 of standard 22. A sleeve 49 is inserted in bore 48 and bears with an integral flange 50v against the front face of plate 23. Inside` sleeve 49 a bushing 5| is arranged andinteriorly threaded at 52 according to the pitch and shape ofthe insert to be made on the machine. A wire coil 53 substantially offthe length of bushing 5| and of the same type as suchinsert is wedged in the threading 52 and in engagement with the threading 41 of mandrel 42. Thus, if crank 39 is turned to rotate mandrel 42 the latter will be screwed forward or backward, depending on the sense of rotation, owing'to its engagement ,with the nut constituted by the coil 53 held stationary in bushing 5|.

In front of bushing 5| a die 54 is provided which is interiorly threaded at 55 ir. the same manner as the bushing at 52. The die has a flange 56 with which it bears against ange 50 of sleeve 5|. of sleeve 49 so as to be properly centered therein. A set of bolts 51 is provided so as to connect releasably the die 54 and bushing 5| in such a position relatively to each other that the interior threading' of the die constitutes the true and exact continuation of the interior thread-- ing of the bushing. Clamping means 59 with bolts 60 engage flange 56 and secure the assembly of sleeve 49, bushing 5| and die 54 to tions 41 of the mandrel.

a purpose to be explained hereinafter. Furthermore, that flank of the slot which is part of projection may be provided with a groove 69 yaccording to the shape of the wire portion intended to engage the threading 55 in the die 54. Groove 68 serves to prevent the wire from tilting in slot 6|. As stated above, the die is to be so adjusted with' respect to the threaded bushing 5I that the thread groove convolutions 55 of the die 54 are exactly opposite the groove convolu- Furthermore, the sector recess 58 of the die is so located that the wire 20 may be inserted through it into the slot 6| when the mandrel is in its end position defined by the setting of ring 45, and that the wire portionv between the mandrel and the cutter mechansm I6 can take the tangential position with respect to the mandrel as shown in Fig. 3.

Substantially within the sector 58, a little guide roller 69 is preferably arranged very close to the mandrel to prevent a. wire end severed by The die, also engages the interior' the`cutting mechanism from swinging upward in Fig. 3. This roller 69 is journaled in a bracket 10 secured to the front wall 23.

It will be understood that the illustrated structure of the bushing 5| with coil 53, die 54 and mandrel 42 may be modified, it being essential only that the thread pitch of the bushing and the portion of the mandrel in engagement therewith is equal to that of the die 54 and the cooperating portion of the mandrel. However, the illustrated structure is the preferred one because it requires a mandrel threading of only one and One of the projections, in'

the same type so that bushing and die may be arranged close to each other regardless of the length of the insert to be coiled. Furthermore, only the die need be hardened; whereas the bushing may be made of ordinary material because the coil 53 can be easily replaced when worn in order to insure accurate working of the machine. Furthermore, it will be clear that the same coiling mechanism can be used for inserts of diiferent diameters within certain limits and of different wire cross-sections, except for the mandrel, bushing and die which may be easily exchanged according to the desired shape and dimensions of a desired insert.

The cutting mechanism clearly shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 9 is o'f a type which will cut the wire slantingly with respect to its axis in order kto produce the edge |3 of Fig. 2. It is immaterial in this respect whether the face formed by such cutting is plane orl curved. In the illustrated embodiment, the mechanism comprises the cutter 1I consisting of disc 12 of a segment greater than a semi-circle with a shank 13. The flank 18 of the disc constituting the chord of the segment is groovedl at 15 so as to guide the wire 28 passing over it towards the recess 58 when the wire end is to be inserted into the slot of the mandrel as it will be described hereinafter. Shank 13 is journaled in a bushing 18 in the wall 23, the bushing being secured to the wall 22 by means such as bolt 11. A hardened piece 18 is also attached to bushing 18 and wall 13 by means of bolts 19 so as to cooperate with the cutter disc 12. Piece 18 has an arcuate face 88 according to the arcuate circumference of the disc 12 and is grooved at 8| to guide the wire in the position of Fig. '3. Hence, it will be clear that if the cutter is turned clockwise in Fig. 3 the wire will be severed between the disc 12 and piece 18 slantingly with respect to the wire axis whereby the sharp edge I3 of the insert of Figs. 1 and 2 will be formed. Shank 18 has a square crosssectional extension 82 with a threaded end 83. On extension 82 there are mounted a lever 84 and a rockable abutment 85 with a distance piece 88 between the two. A nut 81 on the threaded end 83 holds the members 88 to 88 in position and prevents the shank 13 from axial movement. A

spring 81' attached to the end 88 of lever 88 and` to the frame at 89 tends to turn the cutter shank 13 clockwise in Fig. 6 into the inoperative position of Fig. 3. Intermediate the shank and the end 88, a connecting rod 98 is linked to lever 88 at 9|. The other end of rod 98 is linked at 92 to a crank 93 which is journaled with its shaft 98 in wall 23. Onthe front side of wall 23 a hand lever 95 is secured to shaft 98 by means of nut 98. The abutment piecev 85 is of such a length as Vto be able to bear on mandrel 82 and is semicircularly recessed at 91 for this purpose. Set nuts 98 and 99 in engagement'with the threading of mandrel 82 as shown in Fig. 5 are provided for cooperation with the abutment piece 85. The various parts are so adjusted that if spring 81' has pulled lever 84 to its end position in which the piece 85 bears on mandrel 82, the cutting disc 12 is in the position of Fig. 3 so that wire 28 may pass between the chord surface 18 of the disc and piece 18. In this position the abutment 85 prevents mandrel 82 from being projected towards the right-hand side in Fig. beyondthe point when the set nut 98 engages the rear face of the abutment 85. If, however, lever 95 is pulled clockwise in Fig. 6, lever 88 is pulled anticlockwise against the restr..nt cf spring 81' by the intermediary of crank 83 and connecting r0d 98. Thereby, the cutter disc 12 will be operated to sever the wire, and simultaneously the abutment piece 88 will be lifted and will be entirely out of the path of nut 88 when the cutting operation has been completed. thus to permit further rotation and projection of the mandrel until nut 98 abuts againstthe rear face of bushing 8|.

Means are provided to guide the wire towards the cutter in correct position, i. e., in the case of an insert as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the apex of its cross-section outward. Such means in general denoted with the reference character I5 are shown in Figs. 3 and l0. In the illustrated embodiment they comprise a two-part, wedgeshaped member |88, |88' whose parts are so grooved at I8| in their faces fitting upon each other that the combined groove exactly corresponds to the shape of the wire. In this manner, the guide member |88, I88'-is simultaneously useful as a gauge for the wire. Member |88, |88' is held to the wall 23 by. means of a channeled piece |82 with interior 'taper according to the wedge faces of member |88, |88', piece |82 being fastened to the wall 23 by screws |82', in proper relationship to the cutting mechanism I8.

Means may be provided to feed a wire into the slot 8| of the mandrel in order to start coiling of an insert.` Suchmeans in general denoted by I8 are clearly shown in Figs. 4, 1.1 and 11a. In reading these figures it is' to be noted that the cover strip |28 hereinafter described and shown in Fig. l1 is removed in Fig. 4 in order to better show the parts in the rear of such strip. The feeding mechanism comprises two guide pieces |83 and |88 attached to the frame plate 28 by means of bolts |88. Pieces |83 and |88 form channels |88 and |81 together with the wall 28. A plate |88 engages the channels |88 and |81 and is freely movable therein in longitudinal dlrectio'n. The plate is provided with a longitudinal groove |89 of substantially square cross-section and with a transverse recess II8. In groove |89. a bar |II is movable which has a longitudinal groove ||2 to receive therein the wire 28 freely movable in lengthwise direction. Bar has a transverse recess I| 3 similar to the recess II8 of plate |88. In recess ||8 wedge-shaped pieces ||8 and ||5 are secured by screws ||8, and jaws ||1 and I|8 are inserted in the recess l|2 of bar III. The jawshave outer wedge faces ||9 and |28 respectively opposite the wedge faces of the pieces ||8 and II5, the inner faces |2I and |22 grooved in accordance with the cross-section of the wire so as to clamp the wire when the l jaws are urged towards each other. Rollers |23 are inserted between the piece H4 and jaw |I1 and between piece ||5 and jaw II8. Now, it will be clear that by urging either bar |89 with jaws II1 and ||8 to the left relatively to the plate |88 with pieces III and H5, or conversely by urging plate |88 to the right relatively to the bar |89 a wedging yaction will occur by the intermediary of the rollers |23 so that the jaws will firmly clamp the wire and will take it along when the movement continues. In the illustrated embodiment, the arrangement is such that bar will be shifted relatively to plate |88 towards the lefthand side in Fig. 4, in order to effect the wedging of the rollers |23 and thus to take plate |88 along. For this purpose, the recess |I8 of the plate is so shaped at |24 that the jaws |31 and ||8 have sufficient space to accomplish the required relative movement. If, however, the bar I I is shifted from wedging position towards the right relatively and the plate will be taken along by the bar when.

the jaws ||1 and. ||8 abut against the right- "hand ilank of the recess ||8. In order tohold the jaws ||1 andl ||8 with rollers |23 and also the bar III in the respective recesses |1|8, ||8

and in groove ||8-, two cover strips |28`and |28 are provided .and secured to plate |88 by means before sufficient wedging occurs to clamp theA wire 28 securely between the jaws ||1 and ||8.l To insure such clamping action, brakingmeans are provided which hold the plate back until a predetermined force is applied to overcomethe braking` eilect. these means comprise a ball |28 which engages an indentation |28 in the top face of plate I 08 when the bar is in such relative position that no wedging action takes place, i. e., in its righthand end position relatively to the plate. 'Ihe ball |28'is vertically movable in a bore |80 of the guide member |03 which for this purpose has a projection. The bore |30 is closed by a screw |3l', and the compression spring |32 is arranged between that screw and bail |28 so as yto urge the latter against the top face of plate |08.

In order to. actuate bar a hand lever |83 is pivoted at |34 to the frame plate 23 and linked to the end of the bar by means oi' a rod |38, the latter being connected to the lever and bar by means of pivot pins |38 and |31. Abutments |38 adjustable in slots |38 and |40 oi' irame plate 23 may be provided to limit the movement of lever |88 according to the requirements of the feed'oi' the wire 20.

In order to insure straightness of the wire 20 when being ied to the coiling mechanism, straightening means I8 may be provided which in the present case comprise an upper and a lower set oi rollers |4| and |42 in staggered relation. 'Ihe rollers may be grooved according to the cross-section of the wire as it is well known in the art with respect to wire straighteners. 'Ihe rollers |4| and |42 are pivoted on sets of pins |43 and |44 respectively, secured to the frame wall 28.

.'15 In the illustrated embodiment removedin order to set the various mechanisms for proper cooperation. Thereafter, lever |88 is pushed to the left taking along bar |88 wlthjaws ||1 and ||A8 while plate |08 'is retained by ball |28. Owing to the wedging action thus occurring in the clamping device ||4 to |28, the jaws ||1 and ||8 will iirmly settle on 'thev wire 20. Whenl the clamping action has become strong enough to prevent slipping of the jaws on the wire, the shifting force overcomes the restraint of ball |28 and the entire mechanism of plate |08, bar |08 and the clamping device will be taken along so as to `shift the wire tothe left (Fig. 4) through the wire guide, and cutter mechanism. and with its free end through die recess 58 into the mandrel` slot 8|-. To accomplish this, lever |83 is pulled tothe left until the free wire end projects a desired length into the slot 8| to form the coil tang il.k In this position of lever |83 the 'left-hand abutment |88 is adjusted in slot |40. Then lever |83 isjreturned to its right-hand position whereby` the clamping and wedging action of the jaws is eased so'that subsequently the wire may pass the feeding device without appreciable resistance..

'Ihereafter crank 38 will be turned so that the mandrel will be rotated in anti-clockwise di rection in Figs. 3 and 8. This causes the wire end to be bent into the mandrel groove 83 and further takes it into the threading 55 of the die, simultaneously liftingit into engagement with roller 88. Further rotation coils the Wire between the die and the mandrel on the latter thereby shaping the insert exact as to desired The machine operates in the following manguide i8 and cutting mechanism I8. In this position of the mandrel. ring 45 is to be adjusted to abut against the ilange 38. Owing to spring 81', lever 88 is in its left-hand (Fig. 6) end position in which abutment 88 rests on the mandrel 42 and the cutter disc 12 is in its inoperative position. The lever |33 of the feeding mechanism is in its right-hand end position (Fig. 4) in which it bears against the right-hand abutment |38, the latter being so set in slot |38 that simultaneously ball |23 engages the indentation |28 and the jaws ||1 and ||8 abut against the right-hand ilank of the recess |0.

'I'hen the end of a wire of the required crosssection which as stated above slightly differs from the desired cross-section obtained by coiling it, is passed between the rollers lli, |42 of the straightener i8 through the groove H2 of the bar il I of the feeding-device |8, through the groove |0| of the wire guide |5 and between disc 12 and piece 18 oi the cutting mechanism I8 so that a short length projects therefrom. This length is cut oil by actuation of lever 88 and lthe slot 8 I.

diameters, pitch and cross-section of the convolutions. When so much wire has been coiled that Athe short piece between the cutting device and the point where the wire enters the die will be suilicient to complete an insert of desired length, rotation will be halted and the set nuts 88, 88 will be adjusted to abut against the abutment piece 85. Then lever 85 will be actuated whereby the cutting disc 'l2 will be turned so as to sever the wire by cooperation with piece 18, and simultaneously the abutment piece 85 will he lifted to permit continuation of rotation of the mandrel. Upon further rotation the end oi' the insert will be formed wherein the roller 88 is instrumental in preventing the ultimate end of the insert from comprising a short, straight rather than arcuate portion which I have found otherwise tends to form, probably owingto the 'resiliency of the wire end. The Width of the abutment 85 and thus the distance the adjusted nut 88 may be moved in axial direction before abutting against bushing 5| is so selected that not only the free end of the insert can be shaped but that the completed insert Will be screwed out of the die 54 by the rotation'of the mandrel. As soon as the insert isi free from the die it springs, owing to its resiliency, to a diameter larger than that with which it was coiled. This causes the insert convolutions to leave the thread groove of the mandrel, and simultaneously causes a torque tending to turn the insert in the direction in which it was coiled. Owing thereto, the bend originally formed at the root of the tang will engage the slant 81 of the mandrel end projection 85 shown in Fig. 8 and will thereby be pushed forward so that the tang leaves Frequently, the sudden release of the insert from the die is suiiicient to propel spring 81' into engagement with the mandrel.

Simultaneously the cutting disc l2 will be restored to its original position as soon as the nut 38 has kcleared the path of the abutment. It will be noticed that the free end of the wire 20 resting on the face 'i4 of the cutter disc 12 is bent slightly upward from the guide Il. However. such bending is within the elastic limits of the wire so that it follows the face' 'I4 when the cutter disc is returned to its inoperative position. With lever 35 thus in its original position, and mandrel 42 retracted to its end position determined by ring 45, the machine is ready to form another insert inthe same manner as hereinbefore described wherein, however, it is not necessary to reset any one of the adjusted parts such as 45, 88, 38, |38 as long as the machine is intended to produce inserts of the same type.

An automatic machine operating according to the same principle as the machine hereinbefore described is diagrammatically illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13. This machine comprises a supporting structure 200 including a table 20|, side frame members 202 and 203, front plate 204 and l in bearings 201 and 208 in connection with the frame members 202 and 203 underneath the table 20|. The drive` of this shaft is indicated at 209. Three cam members 2I0, 2H, 2|2 are secured to the shaft 208 in order lto actuate the various mechanisms of the machine in a predetermined, timed relationship to each other. These mechanisms and additional devices are similar to those mentioned in the description of the hand-operated machine `and comprise the wire straightener 2|8, the feeding mechanism 2|9, the wire guide 2|5, the cutting mechanism 2|6 and the coiling mechanism 2|1, all of which may be substantially similar as to structure and function to the parts |8, i9, i5, I8 and l1 respectively. The enumerated mechanisms and devices are attached to the front plate 204.

The wire straightener `2|8 comprises parts such as illustrated in Fig. 4 and denoted by the reference characters |4I to |44, and the wire guide 2I5 comprises parts such als illustrated in Fig. 3 and denoted by reference characters |00 to |02'. The coiling mechanism 2H is designed substantially in the same manner as the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 3, 5, 7 and 8 and comprising the parts 21 to 'i0 with Ithe exception, however, of the abutment ring 45 and 48 which is not required in the automatic machine. Neither are there nuts 88 and 59 nor abutment member 85 required in the mechanism 2 I1. Also the crank 39 of Fig. 5 is lacking but replaced by a gear wheel 220 on shaft 33. Means are provided to drive wheel 220 in theone and the other direction according to a predetermined cycle as it will be vexplained hereinafter. For this purpose, wheel 220 is in engagement with a train of wheels 22|, 222 and 223 which may be exchangeable in order to change the number of revolutions impressed on the mandrel 42 in the course of a cycle. Wheel 223 meshes with a rack 224 which forked end 221 of a lever 228. This lever is pivoted at 228 to an extension 230 of table 20| and' advanced a short distance, thereafter returned to its original position, and finally held stationary for a certain time until the end of the shaft revolution, whereupon the cycle is repeated with each subsequent revolution. Now, it will be clear that when shaft 206 is turned the cam mechanism causes an intermittent reciprocating movement of lever 228, which movement is transformed into an intermittent reciprocating rotary movement of the mandrel by means of -the rack 224 and the gear wheels 220- 223.

The cutting mechanism 2 I8 differs in the illustrated automatic machine from the mechanism |'8 of Figs. 3, 6 and 9 only insofar as a lever 235 is substituted for lever 84 secured to the shank 13 yof the cutting disc l2, and as the parts 81 to 85 are dispensed with. To the free end of lever 235, a roller 238 is pivoted which'engages groove 231 of the cam member 2I0. The cam groove 231 is so formed that during aA short portion of one revolution of the shaft 2,08 the lever 235 is swung once forward and backward so as to actuate theV cutter and to return it to inoperative position.

The feeding mechanism 2|8 may be entirely equal to the mechanism I9 of Fig. 4; only the parts for actuating the feeder differ therefrom in that the rod |35 is linked at 240 to the upper arm 24| of a lever 242 which is pivoted to the wall 234 at 243. The lower arm 244 of the lever is provided with a roller v245 bearing against the cam face 245 of the cam member 2| I. A tension spring 241 attached to the lever arm 24| with its one end and to the front plate 204 of the frame with its other end insures permanent contact of the roller 245 with the face 246 which is so shaped that lever 242 is reciprocated once during a portion of each revolution of shaft 205 thereby actuating the feeding mechanism 2|9. l

Fig. 14 diagrammatically illustrates the setting of the cam members 2I0, 2H and 2|2 with respect to each other. The cam members are re1presented by the lcircles 2|0a, 2I|a and 2|2a respectively, and the arrow interiorly of the circle 2|0a indicates the sense of the continuous rotation of shaft 206. Starting from point I, it will be seen that as far as point II only cam member 2|2 is operative in advancing the rack 224 and thereby causing rotation of the mandrel 42 for coiling an insert. Between points 1I and III the cam members 2|2 and 2|| are inoperative with respect to their associated coiling and feeding mechanisms respectively, whereas the cutter will be operated by cam member 2 I0 turning lever 233.

is reciprocatably arranged along the side of the table 20| in guide rails 225 and which is provided near its one end with a pin 228 engaging the From point III to IV again only cam member 2|2 is active in finishing the coiling of the insert. From point IV to V cam member 2|2 returns the rack and, thus, the coiling mandrel 42 to their original position. From point V to point I, finally, the cams 2|2 and 2I0 are inoperative Whereas cam 2| I actuates the feeding mechanism 2 i 8 so that at point I the forming of a subsequent insert may start. It will be understood that the various lengths of the arcs between the points I t0 V of the diagram are'selected merely by way of example and that other relative lengths of the arcs may be desirable or necessary in each individual case depending on the type Voi' insert to beshapedandthespeclflcdesignofthemechanlsms operated by the cams. Hence. the dlagram indicates ratherthe 'sequence of the steps of operation than the relative duration of such steps. Furthermore, it will be clear that if 'for any reason cam 2t! is exchanged in order to provide cycle periods of other relative lengths, cams 2i! and III do not need to be altered but may be readiusted on shaft 2" so that their operation periods coincide vwith the new stop periods re spectively of the exchanged cam M2.

From theforegoing it will be clear that the 'machine illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 automatically performs substantially the same operations as the machine of Figs. 3 to l1 when the latter is manipulated as described. In order to start the automatic machine correctly, it is advisable to turn the shaft 208 by hand forward to a position intermediate points I and II and to insert the wire from the left in Fig. 12 through the devices llt. 2li, 2li and 2N until a short length projects from the cutter. The shaft is then turned to point III whereby the shortI length is cut oi! which is to be removed. Now, the machine may be started, i. e., the drive may be actuated. 'Ihe machine will then idle from point III to point V whereupon the automatic feeding will start the continuous production of inserts.

I claim:

1. In a machine for ceiling inserts for screw connections, `the combination of a rotatable mandrel provided with a thread groove of a pitch according to that of an insert to be coiled thereon, means to rotate said mandrel, a stationary nut-like structure in engagement with a first portion-of the mandrel threading and a stationary slot may be coiled into the thread groove of the mandrel when the latter is rotated, and one-nani; of the slot being-beveled to facilitate removal of a nished insert coil from the mandrel end.

` 5.=rnamach1ne fereoinng wire inserts for' screw connections, the combination of a rotatable and axially'shiftable mandrel provided with a thread groovey of a pitch according to that of an insert to be coiled thereon, means to rotate member in cooperative relation to a second por,

tion of the mandrel threading so as to engage from the outside convolutions of a wire coiled on said mandrel in said groove, and thereby to prevent tilting of the wire convolutions during the coiling, said nut-like structure comprising a stationary support, a bushing secured to said support, said bushing being interiorly threaded according to the threading in the female member of a screw connection for which the insert to be coiled by the machine is destined, and a wire coil of the type of such insert being inserted in said bushing so as to engage the theading of said bushing and that of said mandrel.

2. In a machine for coiling wire inserts for screw connections, the combination of a rotatable mandrel provided with a thread grooveA of a pitch according to that of an insert to' be coiled thereon, and of a cross-section according to the inner portion of the cross-section of a convolution of said insert, means to rotate said mandrel, means to shift said mandrel in axial direction according to said lpitch upon rotation of said mandrel, and a stationary die-like member with an interior thread groove over at least a portion of the inner circumference of said member, said interior thread groove having a pitch according to that of the mandrel and a cross'- section according to the outer portion of the cross-section of a convolution oi.' said insert, and being in opposition to said thread groove of said mandrel.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said die-like member is in the shape substantially ofv a laterally recessed nut, 51nd means to mount said mandrel for circumferential and axial movement within said die-like member and accessisaid mandrel, stationary and interiorly threaded means in engagement with said mandrel to shift the latter in axial direction according to said .pitch upon rotation of the mandrel, an interiorly threaded and laterally recessed die member, the threading of said die member being of the same pitch as that of the mandrel and constitutingthe continuation of that of said interiorly threaded means, the cross-sections of the thread grooves of said mandrel and of said die member being so shaped as to complement each other to the cross-section of a convolution of said insert, means to guide a wire towards the recess of the die member, a. cutting deviceon that side of said dieA member, from which the wire is fed, means for actuating said cutting device, removable means for stopping rotation after a predetermined number of revolutions of the mandrel, and a connection between the two last-mentioned means, whereby said stopping means are removed from operative position when said cutter device has been actuated.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said cutting device includes a cutting edge having a path of movement substantially at an angle to lrigl axis of the wire which is fed to said man- 7. A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said stopping means comprises a member adjustably secured to said mandrel and an abutment member connected to said actuating means and having a stopping position in which it projects into the path of said member secured to said mandrel.

8. A device as claimed in claim 5, further com-4 prising abutment means for the wire close to the recess of said die member to guide a wire end after the cutting in tangential direction with respect to the thread groove of the mandrel.

9. A device as claimed in claimt, wherein at least part of said guiding means constitutesA a gauge for the wire.

10. A machine for ceiling wire inserts for screw connections, the combination of a mandrel having a front portion provided with a thread groove and a front end provided with a diametrical slot communicating with said groove, means in connection with said mandrel to cause a helical movement of it about its axis, an interiorly threaded die member with a passage to its inside for a wire to be coiled, said mandrel being arranged with its front portion inside of said die member and being movable between a iirst end position in which said front portion at least partly protrudes from said die member and a second end position in which said slot is in registry with said passage, the pitch of the mandrel threading, of the die member threading and of said helical movement being according to that means in connection with the last-mentioned means to prevent said mandrel from completing movement from its rst to its second end posi tion during the operation of said cutting device.

11. A machine for coiling wire inserts for screw connections comprising a wire-coiiing mechanism including a mandrel, a wire cutting mecha.- nism,.means to guide a wire to said cutting mechanism and on to said coiiing mechanism, a driving shaft for uni-directional rotation, rlrst transmission means between said shaft and said coiling mechanism whereby said mandrel is reciprocated in a cycle having a first period of rest in which to feed the wire, a second period of advance movement, a third period of rest, a fourth period of' advance movement, and a fth period of return movement, and a second transmission means between said shaft'and said cutting mechanism for intermittent actuation of said mechanism, said second transmission means being so arranged as to its :period of operation that said cutting mechanism is actuated during said third period of said cycle.

12. A machine for coiling wire inserts for screw connections comprising a wire coiiing mechanism, a wire cutting mechanism, means to guide a wire to said cutting mechanism and on to said coiling mechanism, said coiling mechanism including a threaded mandrel and a stationary nut structure in engagement with said mandrel, a driving shaft, a first reciprocating transmission means between said shaftl and said mandrel and including a ilrst cam member to cause a cycle of the mandrel movement having a iirst period of rest in which to feed the' wire, a second period of advance movement, a third period of rest, a fourth period of continued advance movement,

and a flfthperiod of returnmovement, and a second transmission means between said shaft and said cutting mechanism and including a second cam member so constructed and arranged with respectto said ilrst cam member as to actuate the cutting mechanism' during said third period.

13. In a `machine for coiiing inserts the combination of a mandrel provided with a helical thread groove of a shape substantially according 'to the inner portion of the cross-section of a wire to be coiled on said mandrel, means to rotate the mandrel, means to guide the mandrel for movement in axial direction of the mandrel, and a hollow stationary member encompassing a major .portion of the periphery of a portion of said mandrel and being provided with an interior helical thread groove of a cross-section substantially complementing the cross-section of the groove of the mandrel to that of said wire, and having a pitch equal to that of the thread groove of the mandrel.

14. In a machine for coiiing wire inserts for screw connections, the combination of a rotatable mandrel provided with a thread groove of a Shape substantially according to the inner portion of the cross-section of a wire to be coiled thereon, means to rotate said mandrel, a stationary. nut-like structure provided with an inner threading corresponding to the mandrel threading and being in Yengagement with a iirst portion of the latter so as to cause axial shifting of the mandrel while the mandrel rotates, and a hollow stationary member encompassing at least part of a. second portion of the mandrel and being provided With an interior thread groove of a cross-section substantially complementing the cross-sectionof the groove of the mandrel to that of said wire, and having a pitch equal to that of the thread groove of the mandrel, said nut-like structure and said hollow stationary member being axially aligned so that the threading of the latter is in continuation of the former.

HAROLD CAMINEZ. 

